A woman has been found guilty for conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire in the 2016 death of former “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” cast member Andre Montgomery Jr.
On Tuesday, Jan. 24, Terica Ellis was sentenced to three years in prison for her role in working with Montgomery’s uncle and fellow “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” cast member James “Tim” Norman, who was convicted in September 2022 of hiring a hit man to kill the 21-year-old.
Ellis, 39, pleaded guilty in June 2022 for her involvement in Montgomery’s murder, stating in her testimony that “Tim Norman paid her $10,000 to help him find Andre Montgomery,” according to KSDK-TV. She has said she thought Norman wanted to confront his nephew about a burglary and wasn’t aware he’d hired someone to shoot Montgomery, the grandson of professional singer Robbie Montgomery, whose soul food business was the subject of the long-running “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” show.
“Norman then passed his nephew’s location to another man, who fatally shot Montgomery,” KSDK reported.
In September 2022, Norman was found guilty for arranging his nephew’s St. Louis murder, reportedly after nearly 17 hours of jury deliberation. Norman was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, murder-for-hire resulting in death as well as mail fraud, according to the television station. His sentencing is set for March 2. A St. Louis man, Travell Anthony Hill, 31, was sentenced to 32 years in prison for fatally shooting Montgomery.
Though Norman has claimed his innocence, court documents show that he took out life insurance policies on his nephew, which totaled $450,000. Just a few days after Montgomery’s death, Norman attempted to cash in on his insurance policies, but was denied for having inadequate paperwork. Another man, Waiel Rebhi Yaghnam, 44, was sentenced to three years in prison after admitting he conspired with Norman on the policy.
Montgomery’s murder came four days after he was cleared from police as a possible suspect in the house burglary of his grandmother. Robbie Montgomery had reported more than $200,000 in cash and valuables as having been stolen from the home.
In his interview with police, Montgomery reportedly said that he believed his uncle was behind the crime due to him not agreeing with his grandmother “removing him from business ventures,” reported KSDK.
In his police statement, Montgomery suggested, “Norman has the influence to set up the burglary and have someone else break in at his directing.”
However, according to Norman, it was Montgomery who was behind orchestrating a break-in. In text messages found on Norman’s phone, the 44-year-old reportedly expressed that his nephew would face vengeance for this crime.
He reportedly texted his insurance agent his thoughts on Montgomery, giving him only six months left on Earth.
Norman and Montgomery both appeared on “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” with “Miss Robbie.” The NAACP Award-winning show premiered on OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network, and captured a glimpse of the uncle and nephew’s contentious relationship.
In a 2012 episode, “Miss Robbie” fired her son for physically assaulting Montgomery and her nephew Lil’ Charles.
“I know how I was raised, and I know how my cousins were raised. So, I’m saying I want this generation to turn out different. So, I want to discipline Charles and Andre a little more than my mom and my aunts were disciplining them,” Norman said in his confessional.
